The Color of Souls

The inquisitor remained silent for a long while, a complicated light flickering in his eyes.

Xia Lin could tell that this stubborn hound had begun to waver, yet deeply rooted convictions still upheld his stance.

"You have all been deceived." The gaze beneath the inquisitor's brim became unfathomable. "A demon capable of rendering Iomedae's holy judgment ineffective would only be more dangerous than an ordinary demon."

He looked around at the others. "Think about it. What kind of being could deceive holy power? Only aberrant heretics beyond all convention, monsters so warped that even the gods cannot judge them accurately. Her disguise has seeped into her very soul, enough to fool Divine Art itself."

"I disagree." Kade stepped forward, his eyes burning with a newfound realization.

The inquisitor looked at him in surprise. As a Paladin, Kade should have been his staunchest supporter.

"Mr. Tristan." Kade's gaze fell upon Soteria, filled with pity and hope. "You see the failure of Divine Art as deception, but I see another possibility. I see the Goddess's mercy."

He walked before Celia, with no hostility in his eyes, only an understanding that was almost compassionate. "Smite Evil did mark her, proving that evil essence exists within her. But when that mark faded, it was because the Goddess saw the spark of goodness in her soul that was worth saving, and chose forgiveness."

"Absurd!" Tristan roared. "You are blaspheming doctrine!"

"Doctrine is dead, but the gods are alive," Kade answered calmly. "If the Goddess's mercy can extend to a soul struggling to turn toward goodness, would that not be an even greater miracle?"

"Enough."

"Are you planning to argue here over theology until dawn?" Sera interrupted the theological debate before it could escalate. "You could argue until the end of the world and still never